Books about liturgy, revolution, and influence
Black Liturgies: Prayers, Poems, and Meditations for Staying Human by Cole Arthur Riley
I've been following Riley's gorgeous and incisive liturgies on Facebook for years, so I was so excited to see this collection! Mixing together quotes, call-and-response, poetry, confession and absolution, and reflection questions, she encourages the readers to connect with God and with others through a uniquely Black lens. It's one that you want to read slowly or read aloud, sitting with the thoughts and letting them shape you. Highly recommended!
Be a Revolution: How Everyday People Are Fighting Oppression and Changing the World— and How You Can, Too by Ijeoma Oluo
George Floyd's murder was four years ago— what have we done for racial justice since then? Oluo is out to give people practical advice for what change can look like, and the way that racial justice intersects with every other issue, from environmental action to LGBTQ+ rights, from the prison industrial complex to arts and culture. She profiles many different groups fighting for racial justice, giving readers a sense of not only where to put their money but also ways to envision what racial justice can look like in our world, right now.
Raising Hell, Living Well: Freedom from Influence in a World Where Everyone Wants Something from You (Including Me) by Jessica Elefante
Elefante, a former corporate influencer/advertiser, is on a mission to alert everyone to the way that we are brainwashed every second of the day by various influences, and to advocate for a life as free from unconscious influence as we can manage. Part memoir and part manifesto, this book is annoying and deeply thought-provoking in turn, making me feel smugly satisfied with myself one moment and argumentative with her points the next. Her self-congratulatory writing style rubs me the wrong way, but she also discusses her points in memorable ways. And, well, it's a topic we need to talk more about, in a world where advertisements have become more subtle and more widespread, and the line between genuine human relationships and for-profit influence is murkier than it used to be. It's well worth the read, especially if it encourages you to discuss these ideas with friends.
Previously on What I've Been Reading:
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